Wortabet’s Arabic-English Dictionary was the result of a keen desire felt in the nineteenth century for a clear and accurate lexicon of Arabic into English. With the assistance of his father John Wortabet and Prof. Harvey Porter, Wortabet compiled a dictionary that was hailed as embodying the latest scholarship of its day. Its early reviewers remarked on its ease of use and convenient arrangement of material. Still in use as a standard tool for students of Arabic, this historical dictionary has stood the test of time and remains a recognized name in the study of Arabic.

William Thomson Wortabet was a Professor of English at the Egyptian Government School of Medicine and Pharmacy at Cairo. His father was a medical missionary in Beirut.